There are two groups of people in the world. One includes those who like spiders, and the other consists of individuals who cannot stand these creatures. There might be a small group of ambivalent folks, but let’s focus on the major two. Those who find spiders extremely likable will readily handle these arachnids with their bare hands. Some even keep these animals as pets. Those at the other end of the spectrum wonder why on earth would anyone want to have creepy crawlies in his house. So, why do people hate or are scared of spiders? Let’s check out these reasons.

1. Spiders Are Sneaky Critters

It was movie night, and you and two of your friends decided to watch Paranormal Activity for the first time. One of you turned off the light. Your only source of illumination was the television. The three of you were all tense, and at the same time that the evil spirit swiftly appeared on the screen to scare you, a spider also jumped behind your neck and onto your arms. That stealthy critter really had you screaming like a banshee, which meant that you became the butt of jokes for quite awhile.

Not only can spiders take you by surprise, but these are also sneaky creatures that can easily gain access into your house. What’s so bad about spiders in the house? Well, you really won’t know what species they are, unless you’re an expert. What if they were black widow or black recluse spiders? You certainly do not want to be bitten by venomous creatures.

2. Spiders Eat Spiders

When you hear of a spider eating another, well, that’s fine. They are, after all, animals, right? But what if you hear something about a female spider eating its mate? This is pretty common in black widows; hence, the name. This is really a bit weird. Animals don’t normally eat their partners after mating. And what more if you hear that some species of baby spiders, like the Stegodyphus lineatus, gobble up their mommy bit by bit? It’s certainly off-putting.

3. Spiders Are Poisonous

First of all, not all spiders are poisonous. Some types, however, are. These creatures pack a lot of venom in their pretty small frames. You must have heard of these two – brown recluse and black widow. These arachnids are infamous because when they sting, the victim will have all sorts of bad things happening to him. Nausea, vomiting, fever, swelling, and excruciating muscle contractions are just a few symptoms. Some creatures also release necrotic venom. The brown recluse is known for injecting venom that kills skin and muscle cells, which then results in a small injury that becomes bigger and harder to treat. This results in major scarring.

4. Spiders Are Lethal Weapons

A spider is a creeping, crawling master of destruction. It might be small, but that teeny ounce of venom it injects can knock down a creature that’s a hundred or even a thousand times heavier or bigger than it is. Its web, which catches sparkling dew in the morning, is a beautiful trap. It has fangs. The word “fangs” is already pretty intimidating on its own. Let’s make it more intimidating by adding a few numbers – 2.5 inch fangs. Yup, some spiders grow them that long.

Citations:

• graftedno1. “Brown Recluse”. June 1, 2007. Online image. Flickr. January 31, 2013.

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•  License: Creative Commons image source

The writer, Claire Brent, is a freelancer who often blogs about insects and other creepy-crawlies that most consider as pests. Her articles have been used by Our Site, and she also has a personal webpage where she writes about her encounters with many hair-raising pests.